National Guard troops deployed to Washington D.C. this month to support President Donald Trump's effort to mitigate crime will begin carrying firearms on Sunday evening, according to a Defense Department official with knowledge of the planning.

The majority of the guardsmen will carry M17 pistols, their service-issued weapon, the official said, while a small number of the troops will be armed with M4 rifles. The troops are authorized to use their weapons for self-protection.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday ordered the authorization of roughly 2,000 National Guard troops in DC to begin carrying weapons. It marked a shift in the posture of the Guardsmen, who had previously been unarmed as they worked to support law enforcement by assisting with community safety patrols, traffi

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